Four weeks after the governor lifted all restrictions on restaurants and other businesses, Covid-19 cases are again rising in Flagler County and Florida, mirroring on a smaller scale a surge cascading across the country and sparing few states as officials speak of a third wave of the pandemic on the cusp of the holiday season.
A Nonprofit With Ties to Democrats Is Sending Out Millions of Ballot Applications. Election Officials Wish It Would Stop.
In April, election officials from a little over half of Florida’s counties signed a letter asking their secretary of state and attorney general to either take legal action against the Center for Voter Information or speak out publicly against its mailers, which the letter referred to as “a deceptive enterprise” that will “carpet bomb Floridians with more voter registration deception this month.”
Homeless Couple Arrested for Having Sex on Sidewalk Near PNC Bank off Belle Terre
A 42-year-old man and a 39-year-old woman, both homeless of long date in town, were arrested for having sex on a sidewalk by the PNC Bank building on Belle Terre Parkway in Palm Coast Wednesday.
AG Moves To Declare Dennis McDonald in Contempt Over Unpaid $80,000 Fine As He Runs for Council to ‘Sweep City Hall Clean’
Dennis McDonald, the candidate running for a Palm Coast City Council seat in a fifth attempt at elected office, may be declared in contempt of court over $80,000 he owes Flagler County government as reimbursement for legal fees and interest after he filed an ethics complaint against a former county commissioner that was judged frivolous and false.
Man Suspected of Robbery at Kay Jewelers in Target Shopping Center Is Arrested in Glare of Various Lenses
The arrest of Tyrone Hunter, 30, is the sheriff’s office’s latest based in large part on technological investigative means–surveillance video, license plate readers, the sheriff’s Real Time Crime Center, and the dot-connecting of the elements and eyewitness accounts by a detective.
Emails Threatening Democrats to Vote Trump in Flagler County and Elsewhere Originated With Iran
The emails that several Flagler County Democrats, hundreds of Floridians and others across the country received today, threatening recipients to vote for Donald Trump or else, were the work of Iran, according to a federal investigation.
Coronavirus Displaces Obamacare as a Driving Issue For Florida Voters
Republican and Democratic strategists say the election in Florida isn’t about broad policy issues like health care, the environment, gun control or immigration. Instead it’s about fighting the coronavirus, which means different things for different Florida voters based on their political affiliations, ages and livelihoods.
Trump To Seniors: Drop Dead
“As President Trump’s bungled response to the pandemic has become more evident, our cohort, even including the conservatives among us, has seen that the price of Trump’s failure of leadership is death,” writes the World War II-generation author.
From Unpredictable Encounters to Shots Fired, Flagler Sheriff’s Deputies Test Their Split-Second Judgments
A three-week training block is putting every one of the Flagler County Sheriff’s 235 road and corrections deputies through simulated, unpredictable and at times violent situations to test their judgments and evaluate their skills either at de-escalating tense situations or using the proper level of force when necessary.
Alan Lowe Ad Repeats Incendiary Claims About Milissa Holland Proven False Months Ago, Drawing Cease and Desist Letter
Palm Coast mayoral candidate Alan Lowe on Friday twice aired a 100-second campaign commercial attacking incumbent Mayor Milissa Holland for lying, only to himself repeat a set of lies about her that were proven false months ago, which may amount to lying with reckless disregard for the truth–a legally actionable offense even when attacking a public figure.
Palm Coast Approves Addition of 3 Sheriff’s Deputies, Bringing City’s Total to 31, With More Anticipated
The Palm Coast City Council this morning approved the addition of three sheriff’s deputies for supplemental policing in the city, bringing the total of uniformed officers under contract to 31, and the cost of policing the city to $4.1 million.
GOP Voter Registrations Cutting Into Democrats’ Statewide Lead, and Reach Historic Lead in Flagler
Republicans’ proportion of registered voters in Flagler County has grown to 45.7 percent this year, compared to 39.8 percent in 2016, while Democrats’ proportion has shrunk to 30.5 percent, from 31.8 percent four years ago.
Desmond Robinson, 56, Retired Cop Who’d Survived Notorious Shooting, Dies Following Motorcycle Crash
Desmond Robinson had retired to Palm Coast several years after he was shot four times in the back by a fellow cop who mistook him for a suspect on a New York subway platform in 1994. Robinson crashed his motorcycle in the F Section Thursday and later died at Halifax hospital.
Early Voting Draws Out Voters in Throngs at 2 Palm Coast Locations and GSB, But Nowhere Near Record
Voters began lining up to vote more than three hours before early voting began today at the public library site, with lines growing to include hundreds of voters at each of the three sites in Palm Coast and Bunnell.
Two Covid-Related Deaths Bring Flagler’s Total to 36; Florida’s 7-Day Average Is Up 29% From 2 Weeks Ago
In Flagler, the weekly case load continues to to remain stubbornly high, relative to the summer spike, even though relative to other counties in the state Flagler is in better shape. It has the 22nd lowest rate of infection, out of 67 counties, based on the last seven days’ average.
DeSantis Wants Ballot Drop Boxes Staffed. Elections Supervisors’ Attorney Says That’s Not the Law.
With supervisors encouraging Floridians to vote by mail because of the coronavirus pandemic, the number of mail-in ballots has exploded. Due to uncertainty about the U.S. postal system, many voters are choosing to drop off their ballots rather than risk having them delivered too late to count. Florida mail-in ballots must be received by 7 p.m. Election Day to be counted.
The Bigotry Behind Judge Barrett’s Judicial Hijab
We don’t have to imagine what Amy Barrett’s jurisprudence will look like regarding gay rights, abortion, women’s rights, sex discrimination, even human rights and the separation of church and state. Reactionaries can party like it’s Deuteronomy again.
‘Outraged’ Elections Supervisor Rips County Administrator Jerry Cameron Over ‘Contempt’ for Voters and Bad Planning
Flagler County Elections Supervisor Kaiti Lenhart on Saturday wrote county commissioners to ask for help in suspending construction at the GSB during election weeks after County Administrator Jerry Cameron responded to her personal pleas with contempt.
‘If They Can’t Understand the Detour They Shouldn’t Be Voting,’ County Administrator Says, Reversing Pledge to Suspend Construction at GSB
County Administrator Jerry Cameron is refusing to suspend construction for the two weeks of early voting, even though voters must detour through a confusing maze to get to the county elections office in back of the Government Services Building.
Sheriff’s Deputy Loses Week and a Half’s Pay Over Abusive Encounter With Flagler Beach Police Officer
Diego Gonzalez, a Flagler County Sheriff’s deputy with the agency since 2015, was suspended without pay for a week and a half–60 hours–and required to write a letter of apology to a Flagler Beach police officer Joseph McCraney.
Unemployment Ticks Down to 6.2% in Flagler and Up to 7.6% in Florida as Recovery Slows
Flagler County’s labor force had been setting records and moving toward the 50,000 mark just before covid struck. It is now at 45,902, down from 47,459 a year ago. There are 2,700 fewer unemployed persons in the county today than there were a year ago.
Palm Coast Mayoral Candidate Alan Lowe Had Declared Himself ‘Sovereign Citizen,’ Rejecting Constitution and Law for God
As Palm Coast mayoral candidate Alan Lowe battled the IRS over unpaid taxes in the early 1990s, he declared himself a sovereign citizen and rejected all governmental authority. At 59, he registered to vote only before his own primary, when he voted for the first time in his life.
Victor Barbosa, Palm Coast City Council District 2 Candidate: The Live Interview
Victor Barbosa is one of four candidates for Palm Coast City Council, District 2. All registered voters in the city may cast a ballot in that non-partisan election regardless of party affiliation or location in Palm Coast.
Voting By Mail in Flagler Has Already Shattered the 2016 Record, With Democrats Significantly Outpacing GOP
With 19 days to go before the Nov. 3 election, Flagler County voters have cast more than 16,500 ballots by mail, already shattering the 2016 total in mailed-in ballots by 3,000. The count is going up hourly.
Belle Terre Parkway’s Dark Ages End as Palm Coast’s Busy Road Finally Gets Its Street Lights
Contractors are planting 4,370-pound, 45-foot concrete poles nine feet into the ground along Belle Terre Parkway, later attached with 12-foot arms tipped with cobra-head “luminaires” that will light up the road below with LED radiance. There’ll be 213 lights in all, ending Belle Terre’s dark ages.
Covid Death Rate in Florida’s Nursing Homes Exceeded the National Average in Last 4 Weeks, Infections Are Double
The rate of infected nursing-home residents in Florida was 4.5 percent, compared to 2.6 percent nationally. Moreover, the rate of infected staff members in Florida nursing homes was 3.9 per 100 residents, exceeding the national average of 2.5 per 100 residents.
David Alfin, Palm Coast City Council District 2 Candidate: The Live Interview
David Alfin is one of four candidates for Palm Coast City Council, District 2. All registered voters in the city may cast a ballot in that non-partisan election regardless of party affiliation or location in Palm Coast.
Bob Coffman, Palm Coast City Council District 2 Candidate: The Live Interview
Bob Coffman is one of four candidates for Palm Coast City Council, District 2. All registered voters in the city may cast a ballot in that non-partisan election regardless of party affiliation or location in Palm Coast.
Larry Jones, Flagler County Sheriff Candidate: The Live Interview
Democrat Larry Jones is a candidate for Flagler County Sheriff, challenging first-term Republican incumbent Rick Staly in the Nov. 3 election. This is a rematch from the 2016 race, when Staly defeated Jones in a three-way race, with 54 percent of the vote.
Dennis McDonald, Palm Coast City Council District 2 Candidate: The Live Interview
Dennis McDonald is one of four candidates for Palm Coast City Council, District 2. All registered voters in Palm Coast, regardless of party or location, may cast a ballot in the race.
Amendment 2, Raising Minimum Wage $1 a Year Until 2026, Would Lift Pay for 2.5 Million Workers
While the opposing camps on Amendment 2 offer those dramatically different pictures about what will happen if the minimum-wage measure passes, political experts anticipate that the outcome of the vote on the proposed amendment — one of six on the Nov. 3 ballot — will be close.
New Eyewitness Accounts: Feds Didn’t Identify Themselves Before Opening Fire on Portland Antifa Suspect
Local law enforcement officers deputized as U.S. Marshals have given conflicting accounts of the shooting. Witnesses say they heard no warning before the agents shot Michael Reinoehl dead, an outcome President Trump termed “retribution.’’
Trump—Gun in His Hand and a Bloody Shirt—Standing on Fifth Avenue
The most egregious test of Trump’s 5th Avenue principle is still to come, when he tries to kill off American democracy. He’s counting on his supporters to keep him in power even after he loses the popular vote.
Daytona State College Gets Nearly $1 Million Grant to Help Covid Unemployed or Furloughed Back to Work
DSC’s Rapid Credentialing programs may be completed in as little as one to 18 weeks to assist unemployed, underemployed, or furloughed workers. Qualifying participants may be able to qualify at little or no cost depending on the program selected.
Good, Mulchy Samaritans Spruce Up Palm Coast Historical Society in Holland Park
It all began with Philip Cangialosi, an Eagle Scout candidate from the local Troop 402, who envisioned the creation of a lovelier layout to embellish the front of the Palm Coast Historical Society in Holland Park.
Flagler Elections Supervisor Lenhart Issues Sharp, ‘Zero-Tolerance’ Warning Against Voter Intimidation
Responding to concerns about voter intimidation days from early voting in Flagler, both Supervisor of Elections Kaiti Lenhart and Sheriff Rick Staly are sending strong messages to would-be disrupters at polling places, and preparing for polling days with 39 poll deputies–civilians sworn in just for the election period.
With 33rd and 34th Deaths, More Flagler Residents Have Died of Covid in 7 Months Than in Car Crashes in Any Year
The number of confirmed covid deaths so far means that the disease is the eighth leading cause of death in Flagler County, ahead of suicide and Parkinson’s, and about even with deaths from Alzheimer’s. At the current rate, covid is on pace to become the sixth leading cause of death this year, ahead of diabetes.
FHP Trooper Faces Hostile Discrimination Over Time Away on Military Service. Court Rules He Can’t Sue.
An Appeals court ruled that sovereign immunity protects state agencies like the Florida Highway Patrol from the lawsuit filed in 2014 by James Hightower, who alleged he faced a “hostile work environment” at the highway patrol because of leave he took for military duties.
Bobby Bossardet Replaces Earl Johnson at School District’s Leadership Post Closest to Superintendent
Buddy Taylor Middle School Principal Bobby Bossardet replaces Earl Johnson, who was shifted to a different administrative position previously held by Lynette Shott. Johnson, one of the few Black administrators in the district, has been looking to leave since getting passed over for superintendent earlier this year.
County Mixes Reassurances and Threat of Eminent Domain to Convince 11 Hold-Outs to Sign Off on Flagler Beach Dunes Project
Flagler County government may have to start eminent domain litigation against two property owners even as the remaining nine appear close to signing easements allowing for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to rebuild dunes on 2.6 miles of shoreline in Flagler Beach.
Sheriff Investigating Death of a Man in an RV at Kohl’s Shopping Center
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office and the medical examiner are investigating the death of a man in his 40s in a recreational vehicle that had parked in front of Auto Zone in Palm Coast’s Kohl shopping Center off Belle Terre Parkway early this morning.
Rebuffing Teachers Union, Appeals Court Sides With State in Reopening of Florida Schools
Saying that “nothing in the emergency order requires any teacher or any student to return to the classroom,” a state appeals court Friday overturned a ruling that said Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran violated the Florida Constitution when he issued a July order aimed at reopening schools amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Milissa Holland Campaign Will Edit TV Spot That Appeared to Dog Whistle as GOP, Democrats, NAACP and Lowe Rebuke It
A 30-second Milissa Holland campaign ad against Alan Lowe implies he’s a criminal (he’s not) just as he appears next to a Black man. The ad, part of a 30-ads-a-day buy, was produced by a high-powered firm that worked for Donald Trump and appeared on Fox News. An ad not featuring the segment appeared on MSNBC.
All Palm Coast a Trail: Pink Army Run Transformed Into a Virtual ‘Parade’ Sunday, With Radio Kickoff
While the Pink Army run’s anchors will kick off the event with an hour-long program on the radio Sunday morning–The Beach FM, 92.7, and WNZF–residents across the county are encouraged to take part by creating their own walk, their own run, their own 5K anywhere of their choosing.
Flagler Beach Felon With a Record of Fraud and Theft Accused of Bilking 7 Residents of $2,000 in Puppy Scheme
Carissa Sarno, a 34-year-old resident of Flagler Beach, had served two years in state prison for fraud and grand theft. She is accused of deceiving and defrauding at least seven people who thought they were buying puppies from her.
Judge Refuses to Extend Florida’s Voter-Registration Deadline Even as He Calls System Broken
Saying “this court cannot remedy what the state broke,” a federal judge on Friday reluctantly refused to give Floridians more time to register to vote after a state online system crashed in the hours before Monday’s deadline to sign up for the November presidential election.
Denise Calderwood, Flagler County Commission Candidate: The Live Interview
Denise Calderwood is an independent candidate for Flagler County Commission, District 5, facing incumbent Republican Donald O’Brien and independent Paul Anderson. All registered Flagler County voters may cast a ballot in the race regardless of address or party affiliation.
Paul Anderson, Flagler County Commission Candidate: The Live Interview
Paul Anderson is an independent candidate for Flagler County Commission, facing incumbent Republican Donald O’Brien and independent Denise Calderwood. All registered Flagler County voters may cast a ballot in the race regardless of address or party affiliation.
Florida Jobless Claims Up Again to Highest Number in 4 Weeks Despite Lifted Restrictions as Layoffs Pile Up
First-time unemployment claims jumped last week to 40,200 in Florida, up from 32,400 the previous week, as a growing number of major entertainment and travel-related businesses, including Disney and Universal cut hours and lay off employees.
Aaron Carpenter, 43, Faces Child Rape Charges Involving Girl Since She Was 12, Last Meeting Her at Palm Coast Hotel
Aaron Duane Carpenter, 43, is at the Flagler County jail on a first-degree rape charge involving a girl over whom he had custody. Carpenter blamed the girl for his behavior, saying “it just happened.”